


Court of Vipers

by aislingdoheanta



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Damen is never sent to Vere, Gen, Laurent is forced to leave for the boarder earlier, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 17:03:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9334445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aislingdoheanta/pseuds/aislingdoheanta
Summary: An AU where Laurent refuses the "treaty" with Akielos his uncle is suggesting and as a result is sent out on border patrol knowing what that would mean. Being cast out of his own court without a single ally, Laurent turns to the one person who no one would expect him to go to.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something that I wrote very quickly because it's been in my head for a very long time and I just needed to get it out. I will probably come back and edit it again in the future, once I finish another re-read of the series probably. 
> 
> There's nothing explicit in this chapter, but the allusions to the Regent's abuse of Laurent are sort of there.

The Crown Prince of Vere stood before the council and Regent and their various pets. He was tall and slender; his features fair and ethereal. His dark blue clothing was laced up meticulously and clashed horrendously with the rest of the audience chamber.

That was Laurent’s intention, after all. _He_ was going to be King one day--much sooner than his uncle seemed to think--and Laurent wanted to remind everyone that he was still the Prince. It was a statement he’d been making for years now.

Currently, Laurent was fuming and desperately trying to reign his temper in because he had to play this game the way his uncle did so he could match him.

“Nephew, surely you must understand the appeal of this treaty?” the Regent asked, his brow furrowed as he looked on Laurent.

“There is nothing appealing about Akielos.” Laurent made a conscious effort to release the tension in his hands. His Uncle had been drawing up a treaty with Akielos since their king was old and dying. Apparently he had high hopes for the next King to wish to be on friendlier terms with Vere. Or an underhanded pact with someone from Akielos.  

“Your Highness,” Guion said, always the Regent’s lackey. “I know we have a...troubled past with them, but--”

“Troubled past?” Laurent interrupted. “They killed my father. The king. _He_ killed my brother. That is a bit more than a ‘troubled past,’ is it not?”

Guion swallowed but said nothing more.

“We are well aware of your thoughts on Prince Damianos,” the Regent said sighing his long-suffering sigh that signaled to the rest of the council to witness how much he tries with his belligerent nephew.

“Prince-Killer,” Laurent corrected.

“It was war,” the Regent said. “Death happened on both sides.”

“You side with them now?” Laurent asked, his voice hard and eyes cold.

“I side with Vere and the people who are struggling to make ends meet. We need this treaty to bring peace between our nations so we can start trading with both Akelios and Patras,” the Regent said. The look in his uncle’s eye said everything Laurent had suspected for weeks, ever since his uncle first broached the topic of the treaty:  his Uncle had a part in crowning the new Akielon King.

“We don’t need to go through the barbarians to get to Patras,” Laurent argued carefully.

“It’s a matter that is settled,” the Regent said. “And you will be on board with it.”

“And if I’m not?” Laurent jutted his chin just briefly. The only person who noticed was his uncle.

“As the Crown Prince you are required by law to submit to the will of this council,” his uncle said.

“And the Regent,” Laurent said. “Who holds my crown for the short next eleven months.”

The Regent rubbed at his temples. “I am tired, nephew. Will you submit to the will of the council or not?”

LAurent cocked his head.

The Regent’s hands slammed down on the table and he took a step up, his hands braced on the table in front of him. It wasn’t a loss of control or temper; it was a calculated move to allow the rest of the council to show the anger that they were feeling.

“Perhaps,” said Herode quietly, “we should explore other options.”

Laurent glanced at him but only briefly, his eyes going back to his uncle.

The Regent sighed heavily. “What am I to do with you, Laurent?”

“You _need_ to do nothing,” Laurent replied.

“You were always a difficult child, but I had hoped you would grow out of that phase,” the Regent said as if Laurent hadn’t spoken.

_You were always a difficult child_. Laurent forced his breathing to slow.

“You refuse to go on border duty and I allowed it because you have no training in the military. You shirk your responsibilities at court to gallivant off around the capital and wasting time reading instead of attending council meetings and beginning to prepare for your role as King. Now you wish to stop a treaty that would bring nothing but peace for the people you are expecting to rule.” The Regent paused and Laurent kept his gaze.

“I’m beginning to worry that you might not be ready to take the throne.” The line was delivered expertly, hitting the notes of exasperated guardian, frustrated Uncle, and disappointed ruler. It’s everything the council wanted to hear and more.

Laurent knew that there wasn’t anything he could say in his defense at this moment because the table was already against him--they always had been. They’d been against him as soon as he brought back the Prince’s Guard as though that hadn’t been his _right_. They treated that act, and Laurent himself, as a spoiled child acting out.

_You always were a difficult child._

“Perhaps it’s best if you take the time now, to prove to myself, the council, and the people that you are ready to rule,” the Regent said.

“There’s a border patrol unit leaving in three days,” Jeurre added--unhelpfully in Laurent’s case.

“What says the rest of the council?” the Regent asked, but it was only for form’s sake. The only person who might be against that would be Herode. He was by far, the fairest and most loyal to Laurent. All the rest of them were his uncle’s men through and through.

He didn’t have a friend at court. He hadn’t had anyone since Auguste was murdered. He’d thought he had someone, but he had been naive and trusting--and foolish--but he knew better now.

It’s why he knew that this wasn’t just a plan to get Laurent to prove himself; this was a plan to try and remove him from the equation. Right now he was the only thing standing in the Regent’s way to take the throne fully.

There was a very good chance he wouldn’t make it back from border patrol. If he did, it wouldn’t guarantee anyone on the council would actually side with him or think him fit for the throne.

He was on his own, whatever was about to happen.

“I think that seems only fitting,” Audin said, folding his hands on the table. There was a small chorus of agreement.

The Regent’s smile was grim but Laurent could read the smug arrogance in his eyes. “Then it is settled. The Prince will ride out with the border patrol in three days.”

Laurent inclined his head.

“I trust you will have your household packed and ready to go by then?” the Regent asked.

“Of course, Uncle. I wouldn’t wish to make anyone wait on me,” Laurent said. “I trust I am free to go? I have quite a bit to do.”

His Uncle waved his hand and Laurent turned to go.

“Govart will be extremely pleased to be working alongside the Prince,” the Regent said to the council though knowing Laurent was still within earshot. “He’s often spoken of the...qualities of my nephew.”

Laurent refused to allow his back to seize up or to turn around. He knew exactly what Govart wanted from being close to him.

Laurent went directly to his chambers, intending to begin preparations but found that he couldn’t. He sat down heavily on the reclining sofa and put his head in his hands.

_I had hoped you would outgrow that phase._ Laurent squeezed at his face, his head starting to pound. He couldn’t think. He was playing--losing--his uncle’s game but he didn’t know what to do now.

The threat of Laurent being removed from the path to the throne had always been there--perhaps it had only been his age that had stayed his Uncle’s hand all those years ago. Now, he had nothing to offer his uncle except an obstacle to overcome.

_You always were a difficult child._

Laurent needed to use this time to determine a plan. His uncle was going to use his absence to continue garnering support for his own grab at the crown. Laurent should do the same, but that’s the obvious move--the move his uncle expected him to take.

Yes, being visible to the townspeople would be helpful, but they already love the sunburst banner and the prince who rode with it. They also didn’t hold much sway at court or on the council.

Laurent needed more than them. He needed the council’s support, which he didn’t have.

So he’d have to take his crown back by force. He’d need an army.

Vask was out of the equation because they didn’t wish to join in any outsiders’ wars. They had enough skirmishes of their own to worry about. Patras wasn’t likely to provide much aid to Laurent’s cause. His uncle had already started courting Patras with this new treaty and trade deal.

There was one answer that was staring right at him, but it left a bile taste in his mouth:  Akelios.

No one would ever suspect Laurent of going to ask the very people he refused a peace treaty with to sign a treaty with just him. But if he played his cards right, perhaps he could convince the prince-killer to help him. After all, Laurent knew there were vipers in Damianos’ own court and perhaps dropping that knowledge would force the prince-killer to repay the favor.

Perhaps this just might be the way to defeat his uncle once and for all.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do from here. I don't like posting WIPs because I can never promise to actually work on them and I have so many other things to be focusing on. But if there's interest and inspiration continues to strike for this one, I could turn it into a longer story... 
> 
> Thanks for reading and come say hi on [tumblr!](http://saras-almanac.tumblr.com/)


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